Crohn’s disease is a chronic illness, more than just flare-ups and prescribed medications. One day you seem to be feeling well, while the next day you suffer from debilitating symptoms. While the standard treatments work fine for most, for some they cannot reduce the daily burden of pain, exhaustion, appetite loss, and digestive urgency. Hence, patients are seeking alternatives and looking into medical marijuana for Crohn’s disease.
The debate on using Marijuana to manage symptoms of Crohn’s disease has gained momentum. Not as a miraculous cure, not as an alternative to medical care. But as an addition to traditional treatments that can help patients regain control of their symptoms and their lives.
What is Crohn’s Disease?
Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that can affect any part of the digestive tract. This deep-rooted inflammation often results in chronic stomach pain, diarrhea, issues with nutrient absorption, fatigue, and weight loss.
You might be thinking, what about treatments like biologics and immunosuppressants? Many patients still experience symptoms in between flare-ups or adverse drug reactions, even with these standard treatments. Life of the patient becomes extremely challenging. Hence,
Crohn’s disease patients start exploring other options like cannabis for Crohn’s symptoms.
Schedule your appointment today for Medical Marijuana Card in Florida with My Florida Green’s certified doctors.
How Does Cannabis Interact with the Gut?
Cannabis has the potential to interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system. Our gut is loaded with Cannabis receptors. This network of receptors is involved in controlling pain, inflammation, hunger, immunological response, and gut motility. The brain, immunological cells, and, yes, the digestive system all include these receptors.
The active cannabinoids like THC and CBD interact mainly with the CB1 and CB2 receptors of the body and affect how the body feels pain, inflammation, nausea, and even stress.
Can Medical Marijuana help with Crohn’s Pain?
Abdominal pain is the most bothersome symptom of Crohn’s disease for many patients. It disrupts daily routines, work, and sleep. THC, the main psychoactive cannabinoid present in cannabis, affects how the transmission and processing of pain signals occur. THC doesn’t eradicate the pain itself; however, what it can do is to alter how the brain interprets discomfort.
How can CBD help with Crohn’s disease?
Conversely, CBD does not result in a “high.” It interacts with the CB2 receptors of the body and acts as a negative allosteric modulator. Thereby reducing discomfort brought on by inflammation without impairing mental clarity. Moreover, the regulation of inflammation and the immune system can contribute to pain management.
Whether used separately or combined to produce an entourage effect, these cannabinoids can help manage some of the Crohn’s disease symptoms.
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Can Marijuana help with appetite and weight loss?
Unintentional weight loss and malnutrition can result from appetite suppression brought on by pain, nausea, and fear of aggravating symptoms.
THC is well known for stimulating appetite. It essentially “tricks” the brain into believing it is hungry by binding to CB1 receptors in the brain, especially those that regulate hunger.
As a result, ghrelin, the “hunger hormone,” is released, further indicating the need to eat. Not only does it make you hungry, but THC also intensifies taste, making food appear tempting, and increases sensitivity in the olfactory bulb, thereby making food smell stronger.
Lastly, it increases the release of dopamine. Dopamine makes eating more enjoyable and rewarding, which promotes consumption. This way, THC can help patients struggling with appetite and weight loss.
Can Cannabis help with nausea and digestive discomfort?
Cannabis can help with appetite loss, but is it equally effective in treating nausea and digestive discomfort? Many Crohn’s disease patients have reported that cannabis, indeed, helped them with nausea and stomach discomfort.
Cannabis can make meals easier to handle and less unpleasant by relaxing the digestive system and decreasing the desire to throw up.
Does Cannabis actually reduce inflammation in Crohn’s Disease?
Many preclinical studies suggest that cannabinoids, particularly CBD, may affect immunological responses and inflammatory pathways.
The clinical studies do not back up this claim. Cannabis hasn’t consistently demonstrated improvements in intestinal healing or objective inflammation indicators in human clinical trials.
Research indicates that cannabis mostly relieves symptoms rather than lowering underlying inflammation or changing the course of the disease. Thus, it helps mask the pain but does not eradicate it altogether. So, you might feel better even if your inflammation levels don’t go down much.
And that’s precisely why cannabis is only effective for symptom management. It can never be used as a replacement for anti-inflammatory treatments prescribed by your doctor.
Are there risks or side effects to consider?
Medical Marijuana can affect everyone differently; hence, it is important that it is always taken with the guidance of a certified weed doctor. They can choose the best Marijuana product that is safe for you.
Some side effects of Marijuana include dry mouth, dizziness, anxiety, or, in extreme cases, paranoia (particularly with large doses of THC), impaired focus or coordination, and rare conditions such as cannabis hyperemesis syndrome are all potential side effects of cannabis. Moreover, long-term heavy usage of cannabis can also increase the chances of dependency. Not only this, but cannabis also has the potential to interact with other medications, which is especially important to consider when exploring options like THC for Crohn’s Disease. Therefore, it’s always recommended to first consult your healthcare professional before starting with marijuana.
Medical Marijuana for Crohn’s disease
So, Is Medical Marijuana Right for Everyone With Crohn’s? This is not always the case, as each individual’s experience with Crohn’s disease is unique. For some, it can provide significant relief for the Crohn’s disease symptoms like nausea, appetite, weight loss, and discomfort. In comparison, others might get little to no benefit from it. You must see a state-certified Marijuana doctor, that can evaluate your symptoms to determine if Cannabis can help you with your condition.
Remember, cannabis in no way can cure Crohn’s disease; what it can do is manage some symptoms. When used responsibly, medical marijuana for Crohn’s disease may be a helpful addition to conventional treatments rather than a substitute for them.
FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
1. How does cannabis help with Crohn’s disease symptoms?
Cannabis interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system to help manage Crohn’s disease symptoms, including pain, nausea, and appetite loss.
2. Is Medical Marijuana Legal for Crohn’s Disease?
Crohn’s disease qualifies for medical marijuana use in many U.S. states. Particularly in Florida, the state’s medical cannabis program recognizes Crohn’s as a medical marijuana qualifying condition.
3. Can cannabis reduce inflammation caused by Crohn’s disease?
Although cannabinoids have demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties in lab tests, they have not produced comparable results in clinical trials. Thus, cannabis actually masks the pain rather than eradicating the underlying inflammation.
4. What are the benefits of THC and CBD for Crohn’s patients?
THC may alleviate pain, hunger, and nausea, while CBD is usually associated with calming effects and potential immune modulation.
